Mowat students show thanks for veterans

Thursday

Nov 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for whoever taught these kids about generosity and about being part of something larger than yourself.

Panama City is a destination for boaters, beachcombers, Snowbirds, spring breakers and family fun. Others have called Panama City home for generations. It’s a community of neighborly people, among them military families. Panama City’s a good host to visitors. But the red carpet’s always unrolled for veterans. I’ve had this letter in my head since Veterans Day, but waited until now to send it. I couldn’t decide whether what I witnessed in mid-November is more about honoring veterans or giving thanks. It’s both, I think.

I was one of the lucky few part-timers hired to help teachers at Mowat Middle School in Lynn Haven. I’m what they call a “paraprofessional” — teachers give me things to do that will help students learn.

The kids take full advantage of their opportunity to get “smartified,” but that’s not all. The school offers the children countless opportunities to perform community service.

Two teachers, Mrs. Moore and Mrs. McQueen, did just this over the past month. Mrs. Moore organized a canned food drive, and Mrs. McQueen planned the Veterans Day program.

By early November, the tally of cans collected was over 300. That sounds like a lot, but then, the need is far greater, with the end of the food drive a few days after Veterans Day.

Mrs. McQueen asked me to speak at the end of an excellent Veterans Day celebration. After talking about what motivated veterans to serve, I asked the students if they’d like to do something to honor the service of local veterans. The responsive roar — “YES!” — was deafening.

They decided to dedicate their canned food drive to veterans. A thousand strong, each student agreed to bring in a can of food.

Their willingness to collect cans was so easily inspired, that I (delirious at the prospect even more cans) asked them to bring in two cans of food each.

After extracting their promise to do so — in the exhilaration of the moment — I promised that if they did it, Administrative Assistant Jonathan McQuagge and I would have a can-stacking contest, with the loser buying pizza for everyone. McQuagge, previously unaware that he might have to underwrite the purchase of pizza for a thousand kids, looked as if he’d swallowed a palmetto bug. I hadn’t really thought it through myself, to be honest.

I told “Mr. M” not to worry about it. With two days remaining in the drive, there would probably be a flurry of can donations — certainly not thousands. But they’d promised, I thought to myself. Time would tell.

On Tuesday — the first day back at school after Veterans Day — almost a thousand cans arrived. Mrs. Moore, and everyone else, were stunned. The kids rose to the occasion, even if they missed their goal of 2,000 cans. Kudos, kids — it was a good effort. Pizza some other time, I thought. On Wednesday morning, in the last hour of the food drive, the school office was deluged with cans. Shopping carts full of them. Well over two 2,000 — so many cans that they couldn’t fit in the storage room. It was amazing.

Promises made, promises kept. So last Friday, two trucks arrived at Mowat with enough pizza for all, and then some. Special thanks to School Secretary Maryam Stukey — that was the largest pizza delivery I’ve ever seen. Maryam orchestrated the whole thing (to include serving pizza to a thousand “spirited” middle schoolers) Teachers stepped up to the plate to help hand out pizza — they were wonderful. And my hat is off to Mr. McQuagge as well; he is the most proficient can stacker I’ve ever been up against.

Now, to my point: From now on, when I think about all the various people who comprise Panama City, above all it is a place filled with wonderful children. Whether they’re in Lynn Haven, Springfield, Southport or wherever, they know what it means to be giving and kind. All of Bay County’s schools had canned food drives, some even more successful than Mowat’s.

But I’m especially thankful for these particular children — the thousand young “Mustangs” who said yes, and kept their promise. This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for whoever taught these kids about generosity — moms and dads, teachers — and about being part of something larger than yourself. I’ll remember what these young people showed me about the importance of a promise: it is to be kept. Thank you for inspiring me, Mowat middle schoolers, and reminding me that honor is a concept requiring action.

The pajama and winter coat drives are underway. I wonder if the Mowat Mustangs like ice cream.

BRUCE VAN DERVEN Panama City

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